Electric connector



Nov. 7, 1944.

R. GRAY 2,362,200

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 15, 1943 I7 IK/ IO 20 IS F IG- l FIG- 2 INVENTOR Patonted Nov. 7, 1944 2mm scac'rarc common Robin Gray, Stockport, England, assignor to The Electric Storage Battery 00., a corporation of New Jersey Application January is. less, Serial No. 472,201 In Great Britain rem is. 1942 5 Claims.

This invention relates to electric connectors, and particularly to heavy duty electric connectors such as may be used for example on storage battery installations, and has for its object to provide a compact, lightweight, highly eiiicient construction, which can be readily connected and disconnected, and which is substantially i'oolproof.

A further object is to provide a connection which will produce highly concentrated contact pressure between the parts to be electrically connected without imposing undue strain on the threads of the pressure applying nut and terminal post.

A further object is to provide a connection in which the pressure applying nut cannot be loosened by relative motion between the parts to be connected, so that no locking provision is required for the nut.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be set forth in the claims appended to and forming a part of this specification.

A terminal for connecting two conductors in accordance with this invention comprises a tongue like member upon one conductor end adapted to pass into and through a slotted terminal post provided on the other conductor end. The tongue has a notch in its underside which cooperates with a projection at the base of the slot in the terminal post. The projection is of slightly greater contained angle than the angle of the notch of the tongue, and a terminal nut, which screws on to the terminal post,'is adapted to bear directly upon the back or upper surface of the tongue at opposite sides of the notch so as to exert balanced and intense pressure upon the two narrow contact areas of the projection and notch.

The invention further comprises the provision of a screw which passes co-axially through the terminal nut and threads into the tapped upper portion of the slotted post so as to brace the post internally and prevent complete withdrawal of the terminal nut, the latter having an outer portion of hard rubber or other insulating material.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of

the improved connector assembly of this invention; and

Figure 2 is an elevation of the post portion of this invention viewed at right angles to the plane of Figure 1.

In the drawing ll represents the end of an electric conductor on which is mounted or secured a terminal post II. This post comprises a base portion it, which may be cylindrical or rectangular in plan, surmounted by an externally threaded cylindrical portion it. The upper part of the terminal post is bifurcated by a slot it (see Figure 2) which extends downward through the cylindrical portion is and part way into the base portion l2. At the bottom of the slot'.

is a projection II which in the specific embodidrical portion It provided with a bore Il adapted I to receive the end of an electric conductor .not shown). At its opposite end this cable terminal is provided with a flattened portion or tongue lladapted for insertion in the slot It. This flattened portion has a notch is, in this instance inverted V shaped, on the under side adapted to receive the inverted V shaped projection It at the bottom of theslot ll. The contained angle of the projection ii is somewhat greater than that of the notch It, so that the cable terminal makes contact with the post terminal along the two lines of restricted area 20.

To secure the cable terminal in position there is provided a nut 2| having an outer portion 22 of insulating material, such as hard rubber, in which is molded a cylindrical metallic insert 23 which is internally threaded so as to cooperate with the external threads provided on the cylindrical portion It of the post Ii. The metallic inserthas a lower flange portion." which projects below the insulating portion 22. When screwed down on the post ii, the flange It bears upon the top of the tongue it at opposite sides of the V notch. In this way an intense balanced pressure, backed by substantial masses of metal, can be exerted on the narrow contact areas thereby insuring high electric efliciency. It is to be further observed that the engaging surfaces of the flange 24 of the insert 23 and the tongue iii of the terminal I. provide a further pair of independently engaging highly stressed contact areas which are highly eiilcient electrically.

Due to the fact that the contained angle of the V projection ll is greater than the contained angle oi the inverted v shapednotch is, the contact areas of the terminal are self-cleaning when pressure is applied through the nut 2i.

Provided in the walls of the slot it, near the top thereof, is a threaded portion which is adapted to receive a screw 20. The bore of the upper portion of the terminal nut 2| is enlarged or counterbored so as to receive the head of the screw 2' to permit it to be threaded into the post when the terminal nut is in position. with this construction the screw 20 serves to strengthen the bifurcated portion of the post from the inside, whereas the metallic insert 23 strengthens the post from the outside. The head portion of the screw 20 projects beyond the outer edge of the post so as to engage the ledge 21 formed by enlarged bore of the terminal nut. In this way detachment of the nut II from the post is prevented so long as the screw as is in position. The shoulder 21 is so ositioned that the nut can be backed ofl suiilciently far to permit removal of the tongue ll.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have provided an improved terminal connector which is simple in construction and easily assembled. It is to be particularly observed that the improved connector of this invention is inherently self locking and obviates the use of locking or other washer members between the nut and terminal. The cable terminal ll cannot be rocked from side to side in the slotted terminal post Ii and wedging action of the cooperating V's ii and I! automatically takes up all play when the nut is tightened.

While a single embodiment of this invention has been described in detail, it is obvious that modifications can be made therein. For example, if desired. the portion it of the terminal member ll could be constructed so that there is a degree of flexibility at the apex of the V slot II therein. In this way the contact areas at the edges 2| would be increased as the pressure applied to the top surface of the tongue ll through the nut 2| increases. Furthermore the cooperating notch and projection could be other than V shaped if desired. It is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim: '1 a 1. An electrical connector comprising a slotted element adapted to be secured to one electrical conductor, a flattened element for engaging said slotted element and adapted to be connected to a second electrical conductor, a projection in said slotted element at the base of said slot, a notch in said flattened element adapted to engage said projection and having a cross sectional area of opening at its widest portion less than the cross sectional area of said projection below the top portion thereof so that when said notch engages said projection substantially a line contact is attained, a terminal nut threaded on said slotted portion and adapted to engage the upper surface of said flattened portion on opposite sides of said notch so as to bring said projection and notch into engagement and produce an area of concentrated contact pressure along the lines of contact between said notch and said projection.

2. A connector assembly comprising a post element adapted to be electrically connected to one electric conductor. a tongue element adapted to be connected to a second electric conductor, a slot in said poet element adapted to receive said tongue element, an inverted V shaped projection iii in the bottom of said slot, an inverted V shaped notch in the under side of said tongue element having a contained angle less than that of said projection whereby when said notch and said projection are in engagement line contact is obtained. and means threadedly engaging said post element and adapted to bear on the upper side of said tongue element on opposite sides of said notch bringing said projection and notch into engagement and producing balanced high contact pressures at said line contacts.

3. In an electric connector assembly, the combination of an externally threaded terminal post bifurcated by a longitudinal slot having at the bottom an inverted V shaped projection, a conductor terminal having a flattened tongue inserted in the slot and projecting on both sides of said slot. said flattened portion having an inverted v shaped notch of lesser contained anglethan that of said V shaped projection and adapted to fit over said projection, and a. clamping nut threaded over the terminal post and bearing against the upper face of the tongue on each side of the post whereby concentrated contact pressure is produced between the tongue and post along the lines of contact between the edges of the notch and the faces of the projection.

4. A terminal connector assembly comprising a first member having a slot therein, a second member having a thickness slightly less than said slot and adapted to be received therein so that 5 portions project on opposite sides of said first member, a notch in said second member, a projection at the bottom of the said first member adapted to be engaged by the walls forming said notch in said second member, the surfaces of said so projection and the walls of said notch lying at an angle, the contained angle of said walls being less than the contained angle of said surfaces so that as said notch and projection are brought into engagement the lower edge of said notch slides along the surface of said projection and when said projection and notch are in engagement substantially a line contact is formed between said lower edges of said notch and the surfaces of said projection, a nut adapted to be threaded on said first member and to engage said projecting portions of said second member to force said notched portion down onto the surfaces of said projection and establish contact areas under large but equalized pressures, and removable means for preventing said nut from being completely removed from said first member.

5. A terminal connector assembly comprising a slotted member having a V shaped projection in the base of the slot therein, a second member adapted to be received in and project through said slot, as V shaped notch in said second member having an included angle less than the angle of said projection, and a nut threadedly engaging said first member and having a flange adapted to engage portions of said second member on opposite sides of said notch to bring and firmly hold the lower edges of said notch in engagement with the surfaces of said projection.

ROBIN GRAY. 

